HD DVD War Over - BLURAY Wins?

Conky · Last edited by Conky on Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:39 am, edited 2 times in total.

BBC News is reporting this:

Quote:

Toshiba has said it will stop making its high definition DVDs, ending a battle with rival format Blu-ray over which would be the industry standard.

Link

So is that it?

HDDVD will become like Beta and BlueRay the industry Standard (VHS)?

karstmobile · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:43 pm **Post subject:**

When will the Blu-ray player add-on for the xbox 360 be out? :lol:

Conky · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:44 pm **Post subject:**

Quote:

Microsoft offers an HD DVD drive with the Xbox 360 games console.
The company told the BBC it did not believe the apparent end of the format would have an impact on Xbox sales.
"It is games that sell the consoles and the Xbox has the largest next-gen games library," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

elchupacabra · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:14 pm **Post subject:**

I also read about this a few days ago. I'm glad that Blue-Ray seems to be the winner. It is the better format (more space and so :roll:

) if you ask me. Let's hope there won't be any Blue+Ray and Blue-Ray discs. :mrgreen:

Avanze · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 3:36 pm **Post subject:**

Both formats use the same video codes, balancing the whole format war of "more space" just seems so silly to me. The most important thing in my mind is the actual mastering and production of these HD discs, which can be very poor for both Blu-ray and HD-DVD if it is not done properly. So now, undoubtedly, we will be paying through the nose because of Sony. So should we not expect the best quality transfers for our money?

killingjokezzz · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:46 pm **Post subject:**

The DRM on Blu-ray could be a potential nightmare though. I've got a 360 and a PS3, the PS3 mainly as a media centre and I'm glad I didn't bother with the HD-DVD add-on for the 360 now.

Just seen this too:

http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Gaming/Console/J7L7H2R4

Avanze · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 6:06 pm **Post subject:**

Are there any firmwares for Blu-ray drives? Not that I own one at present, but when the prices are much lower I would upgrade for my pc, but only if some region free workaround was available. Like DVD Region Killer or such.

ViSCeRaL · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:33 pm **Post subject:**

Official Announcement:

Quote:

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has undertaken a thorough review of its overall strategy for HD DVD and has decided it will no longer develop, manufacture and market HD DVD players and recorders. This decision has been made following recent major changes in the market. Toshiba will continue, however, to provide full product support and after-sales service for all owners of Toshiba HD DVD products.

HD DVD was developed to offer consumers access at an affordable price to high-quality, high definition content and prepare them for the digital convergence of tomorrow where the fusion of consumer electronics and IT will continue to progress.

“We carefully assessed the long-term impact of continuing the so-called 'next-generation format war' and concluded that a swift decision will best help the market develop,” said Atsutoshi Nishida, President and CEO of Toshiba Corporation. "While we are disappointed for the company and more importantly, for the consumer, the real mass market opportunity for high definition content remains untapped and Toshiba is both able and determined to use our talent, technology and intellectual property to make digital convergence a reality.”

Toshiba will continue to lead innovation, in a wide range of technologies that will drive mass market access to high definition content. These include high capacity NAND flash memory, small form factor hard disk drives, next generation CPUs, visual processing, and wireless and encryption technologies. The company expects to make forthcoming announcements around strategic progress in these convergence technologies.

Toshiba will begin to reduce shipments of HD DVD players and recorders to retail channels, aiming for cessation of these businesses by the end of March 2008. Toshiba also plans to end volume production of HD DVD disk drives for such applications as PCs and games in the same timeframe, yet will continue to make efforts to meet customer requirements. The company will continue to assess the position of notebook PCs with integrated HD DVD drives within the overall PC business relative to future market demand.

This decision will not impact on Toshiba’s commitment to standard DVD, and the company will continue to market conventional DVD players and recorders. Toshiba intends to continue to contribute to the development of the DVD industry, as a member of the DVD Forum, an international organization with some 200 member companies, committed to the discussion and defining of optimum optical disc formats for the consumer and the related industries.

Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD.

Avanze · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:40 pm **Post subject:**

Sony wins at the expense of the consumer.

RedVeil · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 7:55 pm **Post subject:**

I don't think it makes any sense to be pessimistic. We can't change it. Come what might come - the quality will be better than what we currently can get on DVDs. Still I have no need for Blue-Ray and HDTV. They are both too expensive for me at this time. I always wait for the prices to drop before investing. So I am definitely no early adopter in these kind of things. :mrgreen:

Slayer · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:05 pm **Post subject:**

Higher quality than DVD means that I can see every wrinkle in one's skin. Do I want that?

Avanze · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:21 pm **Post subject:**

I will bite when they start releasing Argento and Fulci.

spudthedestroyer · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 9:43 pm **Post subject:**

bluray (-e

)

I think i'm going to sit this round out, the technology just isn't there, it costs a bomb and its not customer forward. Chuck in DRM, a big cut going to sony and no doubt being passes right onto consumers and the worries over censorship and importing its just not good sense for me to buy a bluray player.

Its a real shame monkey drones forced a format on movie lovers.

I don't believe in downloads so looks like the movie studios have completely locked me out of their revenue streams in the home market.

Something I don't really want to have to do.

That's a hint that you won't be seeing any HD content from INFECT for a long time.

antropomorphic

Conky wrote:

HDDVD will become like Beta and BlueRay the industry Standard (VHS)?

that would mean that HHDVD would still be he superior format, coz beta is way better than vhs quality wise :wink:

Conky · **Posted:** Wed Feb 20, 2008 5:40 am **Post subject:**

spudthedestroyer wrote:

bluray (-e

)

spudthedestroyer

antropomorphic wrote:

Conky wrote:

HDDVD will become like Beta and BlueRay the industry Standard (VHS)?

that would mean that HHDVD would still be he superior format, coz beta is way better than vhs quality wise :wink:

hd-dvd was a superior format for the consumer. Cheaper, enough capacity and no drm. bluray just had capacity and frankly, hdd has more as a backup solution so what does that mean? For me, which is all i can speak for, they were both poor formats but i was inclined to buy hd-dvd. Now, pass is all i can think of.

A cheap NAND card would destroy both, i'm hoping for something in the next 3 years.

TaKYoN · **Posted:** Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:47 pm **Post subject:**

I would not be surprised if this new generation was fairly short lived. I do like to think the consumers may help steer companies towards something that is more geared towards the consumer.

I have a strange feeling I may skip this one. DVD is more than sufficient for my archiving needs, I don't keep crap.

My internet connection is not going to be enough to be able to continue acquiring stuff like I do at that increased size.

antropomorphic · **Posted:** Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:49 pm **Post subject:**

TaKYoN wrote:

My internet connection is not going to be enough to be able to continue acquiring stuff like I do at that increased size.

indeed, I'm passing too on this one (or at least for as long as I can)

killingjokezzz · **Posted:** Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:57 am **Post subject:**

I disagree, apart from the rarities that will forever remain on VHS or DVD I only ever watch HD now, either BR or HD-DVD (for now) rips.

I still get that jaw-drop feeling seeing a good movie in HD, hell even the bad ones seem better in 1080.

I've even bought my first Blu-ray movies now too, not to replace anything in my DVD collection, but new stuff that I would have normally bought in DVD, e.g. been meaning to get Pan's Labyrinth for a while now, so instead got it in Blu-ray.

PS3's do upscale DVD (and most new DVD players), but nothing like full-HD.

RedVeil · **Posted:** Fri Feb 22, 2008 11:33 am **Post subject:**

I like the fact that I can get good old movies on DVDs for a cheap price. I don't think I will ever be able to get them on HD-DVD.

HD DVD War Over - BLURAY Wins?

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